None
Not Applicable
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This invention relates generally to the field of automobiles, and particularly to automobile tires and specifically to a handy device for retrieving a vehicle stuck in a snow bank.
Automobile tires often skid in icy conditions or in snow. To prevent cars from skidding special snow tires have been designed for use in places where snow covers the roads for long periods of time. These expensive tires have to be installed in snow season and then removed during warmer season. Snow chains are a cheaper alternative and are mounted on regular tires for use when roads are covered with snow. However, over bare areas of the road these are noisy and may be damaging to the road. Snow belts are made of rubber and overcome some of the problems of snow chains, however, like snow chains these have to be mounted prior to the trip. This means that the tire has to be removed, the snow chain or belt mounted on to it and then the tire is replaced on the vehicle.
While the above are useful alternatives where snow season is long or facilities to clear the roads are poor, in the present day metropolitan cities often most of the snow is cleared before the rush hour making snow tires, snow belts or snow chain redundant for use. Yet there may be patches of icy snow on the road or during active sleet or snow fall that cause the vehicles to skid and result in cars getting stuck in snow banks at the edge of the road. The tires may not have sufficient traction to give enough force to retrieve the car from such a situation. Traditionally salt may be sprinkled to melt ice under the tires or gravel is used to improve traction. While this may provide sufficient traction in some instances, the slush over the ice often makes gravel ineffective in improving traction and in very cold conditions salt may not sufficiently melt the ice or may take a long time to work. Tire attachment for traction on ice or snow is a device that may be attached on to a tire to improve traction, however, this device is cumbersome to use and requires an inflatable tube to be positioned on the inner rim of the wheel. The sure grip winter tire traction device comprises a section of an old tire with studs that extend through it such that they interlock with the treads of the tire when this section is mounted on the tire. In icy conditions the treads of a tire are often packed with snow or ice and mounting this device is difficult.
The primary object of the invention is to increase traction of the wheel to allow retrieving a vehicle stuck in a snow bank using a handy portable device.
Another object of the invention is that it does not require previous training or force to mount or un-mount the device.
Another object of the invention is that unlike existing devices like the snow chains or snow belts, it can be mounted at the time when the vehicle is stuck in snow.
A further object of the invention is that it will save the time and expense involved in getting a tow truck especially in adverse weather conditions.
Yet another object of the invention is that it can be used without altering the construction of the tire or wheel.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.
A handy device for retrieving a vehicle stuck in a snow bank comprising: a metal shoe about the width of a tire and roughly conforming the radial curvature of the tire, multiple conical sharp or blunt projections on the under surface of the metal shoe that increase traction on snow or ice, a side plate that is attached to one side of the shoe at one end, and, with a hole at the other end; a right angled bar, one side of which has multiple small holes and passes through the hole in the side plate and other side of which passes through the existing gaps in the wheel rim; and, a metal pin that locks the angled bar into the hole in the side plate.
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.